Ireland’s most influential trad band The Chieftains set to end US tour on St. Patrick's Day

The world's most influential and successful traditional Irish band, The Chieftains have confirmed a 28-date US tour kicking off February 9, at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, FL.

The Chieftains are a traditional Irish band formed in 1962, their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes has become synonymous with traditional Irish music and they are regarded as having helped popularise Irish music across the world.

Fresh of the critical success of their 50th anniversary album, ‘Voice of Ages’, the six time Grammy award winners are excited about their upcoming tour.

The tour culminates with a St. Patrick’s Day performance at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, VA, featuring collaborations with orchestras in five different cities.

The Chieftains are towering figures in Celtic music, and the group has defined the genre for a popular audience worldwide during their astonishing 50-year career, collaborating with legends like Sting, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and The Rolling Stones along the way.

The band achieved the highest Billboard debut of its career earlier this year with 'Voice of Ages,' which Rolling Stone called "killer" and Billboard hailed as "momentous."

"After completing a successful 50th anniversary world tour, ending the year with an incredible tour of Japan where the shows were well received by sold-out crowds, we are re-energized and more excited than ever to tour the United States," says founder and leader Paddy Moloney.

"I feel that the upcoming tour could hold some of our most exciting shows to date. The band is at the height of performing and the shows are bigger and better than ever. We're excited to be performing with many incredible symphonies this spring and we hope our fans will enjoy these shows as much as we enjoy performing for them."

“It just keeps on going,” Moloney says of the band. “I’m already looking ahead at 2013. Now that I have the recording bug again, I’m mad for it. Retirement is something I should be thinking of, but I think it’s going to be a boots on job with me – I’ll go out with my boots on.”